THE TRUTH ABOUT THE PREGNANT BRAIN AKA "THE BABY MADE ME FORGET IT!"

There are inevitably many things that happen in our lives that make us forget things.  We've all had that moment when we walked into a room and said, "Now, why did I come in here?"  We call it "pregnant brain" when we're pregnant because it seems to happen a lot more than usual!  However for some reason when I was pregnant, my husband didn't accept this diagnosis.  So, in empowered woman fashion, I set out to prove that he needed to show some R-E-S-P-E-C-T to his babymama.  DISCLAIMER!  I am not an actual scientist, neurologist or person who really knows much about the brain at all. BUT when I'm on a mission to prove something, there are no facts that I can't find to support my need to be vindicated.  So I share with you the results of my research in the hopes that even if your man doesn't believe it, you know that you are not going crazy.  There really is a reason that you can't remember where you put your keys.......for the fifth time today!

First, let's blame the hormones...because we all know they are usually at fault for just about anything that alters the female brain.  Sometimes I think they get a bad rap, but most of the time they deserve it.  Oh sure, they do all kinds of wonderful things, like make us want to get pregnant in the first place, but they have their sneaky side. 

"There are 15 to 40 times more progesterone and estrogen marinating the brain during pregnancy, and these hormones affect all kinds of neurons in the brain," says Louann Brizendine, MD, director of the Women's Mood and Hormone Clinic at the University of California, San Francisco. ~WebMD

Progesterone in higher levels is believed to be linked to fatigue, headaches and mood swings which affect the way the neurons in our brain our firing.  So in essence....yes...there is a physical reason for your forgetfulness. In a recent British study on the phenomenon, midwife and researcher Diane Farrar said,

“Altered hormone levels during pregnancy may affect brain regions involved in memory processing. Altered mood and increased anxiety, which may be due to altered hormone levels or pregnancy related worries, may also adversely affect memory function.

Now, to me, that is proof enough, but to really drive it home  build a stronger scientifically based case, I forged on.  I found that there are other reasons for our fetus induced fogginess.

1.  We love to think about and care about our babies.  There is only so much room in our brains for thought and we spend a lot of our time THINKING about our babies.  We want to be sure we are eating the right things, avoiding the wrong things and learning about new things.  We read a lot of books and websites and process loads of new information.  So yes, honey, sometimes that barbecue you wanted to go to got pushed out of my brain and I forgot about it but it is because I was BEING A GOOD MOM!

2.  We don't sleep well.  Is it any wonder?  In the first trimester we wake up and go to the bathroom multiple times.  In the second trimester we are getting used to having a bump and readjusting our sleeping position.  And in the third trimester, when we are feeling the size of a small continent we now have to make multiple trips to the bathroom again as well as deal with ninja womb moves.  There is a reason that lack of sleep is used as a form of torture!  Lack of sleep affects how sharply we think and react so it's no wonder we can't remember why we came into the kitchen(but we might as well have a snack while we are there, right?). 

3. One word:  OXYTOCIN.  Yes, the love hormone.  I didn't list it with the other hormones because it is different and I like it more. Practically speaking, it helps us go into labor, endure labor and make milk!  Oxytocin is responsible for the feelings that you get when you see a picture like this: 

It literally produces a euphoric feeling of well being that surpasses human reasoning.  Thanks to oxytocin(and I'm talking natural, not the stuff in an IV bag) we are able to look at our babies after a night of 2 hours of broken sleep and kiss their cute noses and babble at them shamelessly.   It's the reason we can't describe the immense love we feel for them.  It's beautiful BUT it drowns our brains in love, washing out some of the unpleasant thoughts and memories, like making that bank deposit by lunch time so that the mortgage payment won't bounce.  So in essence, you are forgetting important things because you are consumed with love and well being.  I don't think that is such a bad thing.  All that love and well being may very well be the reason our husbands are still standing when all is said and done so they should really become oxytocin's biggest fans, in my opinion. 

So can anything be done to help pregnancy brain?  YES!  YOGA!!!  Yoga helps to balance your body's physiological responses to pregnancy and can help you to sleep better.  It helps offset some of the physical demands on our bodies.  It also helps to quiet our minds during the relaxation part of class.  When we can take a moment and quiet our mind on the mat, we are able to give our brains some much needed rest so that they can recharge and be ready for the heavy demands of our day to day life.  The focus on the breath during class sends oxygen surges to the brain making us feel more alive and alert.  Charlotte Family Yoga Center Prenatal recognizes that there are so many things for new moms to think about and prepare for.  We offer you a place of rest and refuge on the mat with us.  We promise that you will feel renewed and restored.  And just in case you forget, here is the prenatal class schedule!

Tuesday:  6:45pm-8pm
Wednesday:  10am-11:15am
Thursday:  6:45pm-8pm
Saturday:  10am-11:15am
Sunday 2:30pm-3:45pm($8 class!)

See you there!

Namaste,

~written by Meliea Holbrook, CFYC prenatal instructor and community birth activist